Set Free
by biawutnow
Summary: Naomi Misora died from the Death Note...but not in the way Light had intended. When L steps in to save her, what is the outcome? Naomi X L


This story is about what would have happened if L had visited Misora before she commited suicide.

The idea for this story has been eating away at me since I read volume two of the manga, and I just now got around to putting my ideas down on paper. I tried not to make the events in here too far out of the realm of possibility...and I tried to keep the relationship between L and Naomi believable. Some of the information about Naomi comes from the Los Angeles B.B. Murder cases, so if you haven't read that book yet, some things may not be fully understood.

Once again, I just got tired of sifting through the MisaxL fics...and I still can't sympathize with Light at all.

All of this being said, I hope you'll give this fic a chance! I'm pretty satisfied with it, and I hope you will be too.

* * *

Naomi Misora rarely allowed her emotions to control her. Intelligent, calm, and cool, she faced any challenge with the approach of a professional.

That's why, when she suddenly found her conscience clouded by a crushing depression, she felt so confused.

She awoke that December morning feeling as though only one thing was important: her death. It didn't matter that the desire to remove herself from the planet was completely irrational. Something was driving her to commit suicide against her will.

She struggled to fight down the panic in her chest as she arose from her bed. The bed that she and Raye used to sleep in together…

At first, she associated the depression with Raye. What else could cast her into so much pain? But the day before…the day before she had wanted nothing more than to find the one responsible for his death. She remembered discovering something extremely important, but the details surrounding her independent investigation were gone. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember who she suspected or where she had found any leads.

Deciding that remaining in bed was only making her feel worse, she slowly slouched into the kitchen. The table was littered with papers from the various investigations Raye had been conducting before his death, but they only sufficed in reminding her that her lover was gone.

A cold wind blew through a window on her left, sending a chill down her spine. She approached the open sill and looked down below. Cars drove by in crowded masses. The world was still bustling. Even after her fiancés death…life still went on. She idly wondered if she should jump out the window and end it. A strong, commanding voice told her not to. If she did, people would know she had killed herself. That was another odd thing about her desire to commit suicide. She wanted to let someone what she planned to do…but she felt as though she had to kill herself in secret.

A sudden knock on the door sent her flying away from the window in shock. She had been so deep in thought, and wasn't expecting any visitors. Her parents had agreed to give her space until she was ready…so who could it be? She considered not even answering the door, but after the insistent knocking went on for over a minute, she decided to address whoever was there.

She fumbled with the locks for a moment before pulling the door open. She was immediately greeted with the sight of a man who was hunched over, and whose eyes bore intensely into her own.

"Hello, Misora"

"Ry-Ryuzaki?" She asked, temporarily startled.

She had only met with him in person once before. Their encounter had been quite odd, as she had accidentally sent him flying down a set of stairs.

"Yes. I need to talk to you...Do you mind if I come in?"

She nodded slowly, unsure of what he could possibly want to talk to her about. This was L… there wasn't something she knew that he already didn't. Regardless, she stepped aside and allowed him entry into her small apartment.

He took in his surroundings, his eyes falling on a picture of Raye and Naomi that hung on the wall.

"I heard your husband passed…I was very sorry to hear about that."

Naomi looked away from him , feeling a lump rising in her throat.

"In fact, I'm here because I believe his death wasn't an accident…but I also wanted to make sure that you're alright, as well"

"I'm f-f-fine…" she muttered.

She cast a glance in his direction, and saw that he was looking at his feet, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Misora, I think that it's better if I talk to you elsewhere. I don't want to make you uncomfortable by being here...and besides, I was hoping to get some coffee this morning, which I doubt you'll have here, considering you despise the substance" he said, looking up and smiling at her.

Naomi actually laughed. "Your imposter scared me off of it"

"Completely understandable, but still…will you come with me to eat breakfast?"

Her depression was temporarily driven away with his kind face. She couldn't say no to him.

"Sure."

* * *

L had a way of drawing attention to himself regardless of whether he was trying to or not. Not only was his overall appearance unusual, but his mannerisms were highly abnormal as well.

Naomi couldn't help but laugh at his posture as he sat in typical L style: crouched and with his knees held tightly against his chest.

"So you really do sit like that…I had just written it off as something B created himself"

She quieted her laughter, not wanting to insult him, but L just bit his thumbnail in response to her reaction. If he was doing anything to make her happy, it didn't matter if it was at his expense.

The waiter showed up shortly after they were seated, and L ordered 12 coffees and asked for the largest amount of French toast they could fit on one plate. Naomi chose a more common order and just asked for pancakes.

As soon as the waiter was gone and L was sure no one was within earshot, he got down to business.

"Naomi, I'm sure that Raye told you about the murderer he was investigating…the one we have chosen to call Kira?"

Naomi nodded. "Yes, he did. He told me that he didn't know very much about Kira, other than that he needs a person's name and a face to kill"

"Correct. Kira murders his victims mainly through heart attacks…and I'm aware you didn't know this, but the other 11 agents who were investigating Kira with your husband also died from heart attacks"

Suddenly Naomi had a break through in her memory.

"Yes! I remember yesterday I had been investigating Raye's death…I believed there was a strong possibility that Kira had found out Raye's identity and murdered him! Raye had been involved in a bus jacking incident, where he had accidentally showed his badge to a passenger…but who that passenger was I can't remember, and there weren't any records about who he was investigating at that time."

"None of the papers at your apartment have that information…?"

"No, I went through them already. Everything he had from that day is missing"

L bit harder on the thumbnail already in his mouth, his face locked deep in concentration. If there was some way he could find out who was on the bus with Raye…

His reverie was disturbed with the arrival of their order. The waiter appeared slightly disgusted as he watched L pour a whole jar of syrup over his toast, but L seemed undisturbed by the attention. No doubt he was already used to it.

Naomi set about modestly eating her pancakes, gazing absently out the window. Her mind was returning to the darkness…she could almost hear a clock ticking in the back of her head, reminding her she had to die. That she was going to die.

"Are you ok, Misora?" L asked. He was carefully examining her features, studying every slight change in her expression.

"I'm…" she trailed off.

"I'm scared" she whispered.

"Ryuzaki, it feels as though…something is controlling me. Something is forcing me to…think…horrible thoughts"

L's eyes widened in shock.

"What kind of thoughts…?"

"I can't tell you" she choked.

She couldn't. It was impossible to tell him she wanted to commit suicide. Her mind and her mouth would not channel the thought.

'_Kira can control a victim before their death…what if…he's controlling Misora? If that's the case, I can't leave her side. She may already be doomed to die…but I can't allow her to remain alone in this state'_

"Misora, if you don't mind…I'd like for you to come with me today to headquarters. I think your abilities may help us in the investigation"

Naomi looked up from her pancakes, a smile of relief on her face.

"Thank you, Ryuzaki. Of course I'll help"

* * *

"Your husband investigated several families, however, I believe our prime suspect to be within the Yagami household" L told her from the armchair he currently occupied.

They were at the hotel L temporarily called home, one which he would surely abandon in the next few days.

'_Yagami…' _Naomi felt the name strike a chord with something in her mind, but she couldn't dredge up where she had heard the name before.

"For now I would like for you to look over the information I have gathered thus far concerning the killer and share your thoughts with me when you are finished"

Naomi looked at the large stack of papers before her, knowing that it would take her more than a day for her to reach any sort of conclusion about the case. Maybe that was L's intention.

Nevertheless, she picked up the nearest paper and began absorbing as much as she could.

* * *

It was close to midnight when Misora decided to call it a night. Her mind and her heart couldn't take anymore of the concentration that the investigation demanded. She slowly rose from the couch and walked towards the doorway, where she suddenly froze.

"Ryuzaki…"

L looked over at her, and noticed that she was shaking.

"Yes?"

"Nevermind…its nothing…" She said, turning away from him and heading out the door.

Naomi stopped in her tracks as she felt a soft weight on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Ryuzaki standing behind her.

"I think I need to sleep, as well…there's only one bed, so do you mind if I stay with you?"

Naomi felt as though an immense weight had been lifted off her chest. She had not wanted to sleep alone, but she was too embarrassed to admit it.

Together they made their way through the dark hallway, both silent as Naomi opened the door to the bedroom. She quietly slipped into the adjoining bathroom and changed into her night gown before sliding into the bed next to L. His eyes were already closed, and his face looked so…relaxed. She tried not to create too much of a disturbance as she pulled the covers over her shoulders, not wanting to deprive L of the rest she knew he most surely needed.

Her eyes fluttered to a close and she rolled onto her side. She felt safe, being next to him like this. Peacefully she made the transition into unconsciousness…

* * *

It was odd how things clicked into place as Naomi slept.

'_Yagami…Yagami…Yagami!"_

Naomi sat up in the bed, the covers sliding off of her. It was Light Yagami! He had killed Raye! He was Kira! He had cursed her somehow…he was the cause of her depression…she remembered his smug face as he revealed to her his true identity.

'_I have to kill him! If I'm doomed to kill myself, I'm taking him with me!'_

L sat up in the bed, awoken by her sudden movement.

"Misora...are you ok-?"

Naomi clutched her chest as she felt her heart stop beating. A heart attack..she was having a heart attack.

She made to fall back against the bed, but L caught her in his arms.

"Naomi…Naomi?!"

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears…but yet she was smiling.

'_I can't speak...but L…you'll figure it out…I know you will'_

She turned her head against his arm and weakly pressed her lips against his skin.

'_Thank you…for everything…goodbye'_

**Whether the cause of an individual's death is either a suicide or accident, if the death leads to the death of more than the intended, the person will simply die of a heart attack. This is to ensure that other lives are not influenced.**

* * *

My reasoning for Naomi's death is that the minute she decided to kill Light, she was already commited to doing so, and therefore the rules of the death note took effect.

I would have loveddddd for her to live, but that just can't happen.

I hope you enjoyed. Thoughts, feelings? Review


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